Not long after the United States shot down a wayward Chinese spy balloon in early 2023, some American officials quietly repeated a troubling story: When generals and members of the Biden administration first tried to call their counterparts in China to de-escalate, the line on the other end kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing. The good news is that diplomacy between the two countries has improved in the 14 months since. President Biden and Chinese president Xi Jinping met south of San Francisco last fall, and lower-level discussions on trade, technology, climate change and other issues continue. Yet China has been reluctant to talk about arms control, even as tensions in the Asia-Pacific region grow, whether over the future of Taiwan or because of North Korea's saber rattling. Which is why it is worrisome that, when China suggested talks over nuclear use in February, that overture was, this time, met publicly with silence from Washington. My colleague W.J. Hennigan today makes the case for why that should change. It is the latest essay in "At the Brink," the ongoing Times Opinion series on the increasing threat of nuclear weapons. China has proposed that America and other nuclear-armed nations discuss adopting China's own longstanding policy against first use of atomic weapons. I'd personally argue that publicly abandoning the option of using atomic weapons first is the right choice for American national security, the right choice for our allies and the right choice for the good of all mankind. President Biden, as Hennigan notes, was once an advocate of this policy. That would require a significant change in U.S. nuclear policy, and talks with China on this subject may go nowhere. Yet they should still happen. I often come back to this: The greatest danger is accidental use as a result of mishap or misunderstanding — particularly during a crisis — not a suicidal decision to use a nuclear weapon first. The real lesson of the Cold War is that the world survived by luck. It is impossible to avoid misunderstandings if there is no communication. The knock-on effects of nuclear glasnost are huge and the costs negligible. Perhaps most important, communication makes adversarial states less paranoid, and the less paranoia and fear that is surrounding the world's nuclear weapons, the better. Diplomacy, too, takes time. Many of the treaties that led to rules around both nuclear use and proliferation in the last century only came together after years, even decades, of relationship building. Establishing trust in moments outside of a crisis inevitably leads leaders to see each other as fellow human beings, rather than as irrational, cartoonish caricatures. For me, the question of whether to engage brings to mind the Bible passage Romans 8:31-39, which in geopolitical terms would go something like: Who can be against talking if it could bring peace? The answer: People who have an interest in resolving disputes in some other manner.
Coming Soon: Donald Trump's first criminal trial — involving charges that he illegally falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal — is set to begin today in Manhattan. Starting this evening and throughout the trial, you'll occasionally receive a special late edition of Opinion Today when there are major developments. It will feature insights from Jonathan Alter, who will be in the courtroom, and other contributors to The Point, Opinion's blog. Here's what we're focusing on today:
We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday, April 15, 2024
Opinion Today: It’s time to talk nukes with China
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment